the house of pride(傲慢之家)-第7章
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air…tormenting shell went by。 Koolau began to recover his confidence。
No damage was being done。 Evidently they could not aim such large
missiles at such long range with the precision of a rifle。
But a change came over the situation。 The shells began to fall short。
One burst below in the thicket by the knife…edge。 Koolau remembered
the maid who lay there on watch； and ran down to see。 The smoke was
still rising from the bushes when he crawled in。 He was astounded。
The branches were splintered and broken。 Where the girl had lain was
a hole in the ground。 The girl herself was in shattered fragments。 The
shell had burst right on her。
First peering out to make sure no soldiers were attempting the
passage； Koolau started back on the run for the caves。 All the time the
shells were moaning； whining； screaming by； and the valley was
rumbling and reverberating with the explosions。 As he came in sight of
the caves； he saw the two idiots cavorting about； clutching each other's
hands with their stumps of fingers。 Even as he ran； Koolau saw a spout
of black smoke rise from the ground； near to the idiots。 They were
flung apart bodily by the explosion。 One lay motionless； but the other
was dragging himself by his hands toward the cave。 His legs trailed out
helplessly behind him； while the blood was pouring from his body。 He
seemed bathed in blood； and as he crawled he cried like a little dog。
The rest of the lepers； with the exception of Kapahei； had fled into the
caves。
〃Seventeen；〃 said Kapahei。 〃Eighteen；〃 he added。
This last shell had fairly entered into one of the caves。 The
explosion caused the caves to empty。 But from the particular cave no
one emerged。 Koolau crept in through the pungent； acrid smoke。 Four
bodies； frightfully mangled； lay about。 One of them was the sightless
woman whose tears till now had never ceased。
Outside； Koolau found his people in a panic and already beginning to
climb the goat…trail that led out of the gorge and on among the jumbled
heights and chasms。 The wounded idiot； whining feebly and dragging
himself along on the ground by his hands； was trying to follow。 But at
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the first pitch of the wall his helplessness overcame him and he fell
back。
〃It would be better to kill him；〃 said Koolau to Kapahei； who still sat
in the same place。
〃Twenty…two；〃 Kapahei answered。 〃Yes； it would be a wise thing to
kill him。 Twenty…threetwenty…four。〃
The idiot whined sharply when he saw the rifle levelled at him。
Koolau hesitated； then lowered the gun。
〃It is a hard thing to do；〃 he said。
〃You are a fool； twenty…six； twenty…seven；〃 said Kapahei。 〃Let me
show you。〃
He arose； and with a heavy fragment of rock in his hand； approached
the wounded thing。 As he lifted his arm to strike； a shell burst full upon
him； relieving him of the necessity of the act and at the same time
putting an end to his count。
Koolau was alone in the gorge。 He watched the last of his people
drag their crippled bodies over the brow of the height and disappear。
Then he turned and went down to the thicket where the maid had keen
killed。 The shell…fire still continued； but he remained； for far below he
could see the soldiers climbing up。 A shell burst twenty feet away。
Flattening himself into the earth； he heard the rush of the fragments
above his body。 A shower of hau blossoms rained upon him。 He
lifted his head to peer down the trail； and sighed。 He was very much
afraid。 Bullets from rifles would not have worried him； but this shell…
fire was abominable。 Each time a shell shrieked by he shivered and
crouched； but each time he lifted his head again to watch the trail。
At last the shells ceased。 This； he reasoned； was because the
soldiers were drawing near。 They crept along the trail in single file；
and he tried to count them until he lost track。 At any rate； there were a
hundred or so of themall come after Koolau the leper。 He felt a
fleeting prod of pride。 With war guns and rifles； police and soldiers；
they came for him； and he was only one man； a crippled wreck of a man
at that。 They offered a thousand dollars for him； dead or alive。 In all
his life he had never possessed that much money。 The thought was a
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bitter one。 Kapahei had been right。 He； Koolau； had done no wrong。
Because the haoles wanted labour with which to work the stolen land；
they had brought in the Chinese coolies； and with them had come the
sickness。 And now； because he had caught the sickness； he was worth a
thousand dollarsbut not to himself。 It was his worthless carcass；
rotten with disease or dead from a bursting shell； that was worth all that
money。
When the soldiers reached the knife…edged passage； he was prompted
to warn them。 But his gaze fell upon the body of the murdered maid；
and he kept silent。 When six had ventured on the knife…edge； he
opened fire。 Nor did he cease when the knife…edge was bare。 He
emptied his magazine； reloaded； and emptied it again。 He kept on
shooting。 All his wrongs were blazing in his brain； and he was in a fury
of vengeance。 All down the goat…trail the soldiers were firing； and
though they lay flat and sought to shelter themselves in the shallow
inequalities of the surface； they were exposed marks to him。 Bullets
whistled and thudded about him； and an occasional ricochet sang sharply
through the air。 One bullet ploughed a crease through his scalp； and a
second burned across his shoulder…blade without breaking the skin。
It was a massacre； in which one man did the killing。 The soldiers
began to retreat； helping along their wounded。 As Koolau picked them
off he became aware of the smell of burnt meat。 He glanced about him
at first； and then discovered that it was his own hands。 The heat of the
rifle was doing it。 The leprosy had destroyed most of the nerves in his
hands。 Though his flesh burned and he smelled it； there was no
sensation。
He lay in the thicket； smiling； until he remembered the war guns。
Without doubt they would open upon him again； and this time upon the
very thicket from which he had inflicted the danger。 Scarcely had he
changed his position to a nook behind a small shoulder of the wall where
he had noted that no shells fell； than the bombardment recommenced。
He counted the shells。 Sixty more were thrown into the gorge before
the war…guns ceased。 The tiny area was pitted with their explosions；
until it seemed impossible that any creature could have survived。 So
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the soldiers thought； for； under the burning afternoon sun； they climbed
the goat…trail again。 And again the knife…edged passage was disputed；
and again they fell back to the beach。
For two days longer Koolau held the passage； though the soldiers
contented themselves with flinging shells into his retreat。 Then Pahau；
a leper boy； came to the top of the wall at the back of the gorge and
shouted down to him that Kiloliana； hunting goats that they might eat；
had been killed by a fall； and that the women were frightened and knew
not what to do。 Koolau called the boy down and left him with a spare
gun with which to guard the passage。 Koolau found his people
disheartened。 The majority of them were too helpless to forage food
for themselves under such forbidding circumstances； and all were
starving。 He selected two women and a man who were not too far gone
with the disease； and sent them back to the gorge to bring up food and
mats。 The rest he cheered and consoled until even the weakest took a
hand in building rough shelters for themselves。
But those he had dispatched for food did not return； and he started
back for the gorge。 As he came out on the brow of the wall； half a
dozen rifles cracked。 A bullet tore through the fleshy part of his
shoulder； and his cheek was cut by a sliver of rock where a second bullet
smashed against the cliff。 In the moment that this happened； and he
leaped back； he saw that the gorge was alive with soldiers。 His own
people had betrayed him。 The shell…fire had been too terrible； and they
had preferred the prison of Molokai。
Koolau dropped back and unslung one of his heavy cartridge…belts。
Lying among the rocks； he allowed the head and shoulders of the first
soldier to rise
